Interlocking plastic tile



Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES oFF-ies 1 Claim.

14 This' invention relates to wall' tile `and more particularly to individual square substantially.

dat plastic tile adapted to be attached, one-by- Y one in contiguous relation, by a fastening'mastic toa Wall.

It' should be-noted that bythe term wa-11'it is intended to includeu all walls-V such as side walls, ceilings, doors, etc;

At the present time, in mounting plastic tile on a wall the wall is rst buttered with a mastic and thenk the tiles are one-by-one-pressed onto the Wall in adjoining relation; and the mastic projecting through the spaces betweenthel ad joining tiles is progressivelyv wiped to. eliminate excess mastic on the surface of the wall'. 1n reality; the stripe-like mastic appearing at the joints serves as a part of the ornamental' appearance ofthe wall.

Sincemost people desire a white or colored mastic beading between the tile, it is necessary to use a mastic which is considerably more expensive than cheap brown cementitious material. In addition, the joint wiping operation is a tedious one, consumes considerable valuable time of theA tile setter and does not by any means provide for uniformity in the appearance of the joints.

It is an object of this invention to provide tile which dispenses with the need for the mastic defining beadsv between the adjoining tiles thereby eliminating the expensive wiping operation and enabling the use of cheaper mastics as substantially all of the mastic used in the mounting of my novel tile is concealed by the tile themselves.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide-a polygonal or square plastic tile with integral joint beads on at least two edges of each tile which will not only eiectivelyseatY on shouldered. portions of adjoining tile, but will also provide uniform highly pleasing ornamental striping between the tiles.

Yet another object of this invention is, to provide plastic tile with resilient lip-like edges yieldable.v in the establishment: of joints between adjoining, tle and which will provide for yielding; in atile wallV in use such as` occasioned. by expansion and' contraction, thereby preventing breaking or fracturing of the tile as a consequence of such expansion and contraction.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a combination tile and ornamental lip-like sealing bead which is economical to manufacture in conventional plastic molding machinery.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there isl Vprovided.: af. tile wallv made.: ofl aplurality of vjuxtaposedjsubstantiallyfiatsquare plastic tiles eachV having a, maine body with'k a peripheral flangedfedgezdening: four sides of; the

tile, the edge on each of two sides having asealing. junctionk lip spaced, from thev body of: the tile; sov asv tol be exiblef into the space; in the. forming of ajoint with an. adjoining, tile-1` and on each* of its other two sides; being.- shouldered for cmg-agementA by the', lip of the adjoining; tile,

Another featureof; thezinventonrelates te the provision of a tile. ot the aforementioned type whereinv the lip defines onztherear si'de;of:the tile a space` for* receivingl cementitious. material in the-fastening of thetileyto-.a previously: prepared wall. x

Another,` and further. featurezo the invention relates. tov the provision; ci a substantially dat synth eticv plasticv wall tile slightlyfrecessed. on; its rear side and provided with` a marginal joint iorming edge comprising a resilient` lip extending rearwardly from the outer surface; of. the tile in spaced relationA to the: main. body' of: the tile, the lip on the outer; side of the tile, being nished tov give the. appearance; of ar stripev or bead'v between adjoining; tile and, serving: as a filler-in the spacey between adjoining tile.

Other objects` and features:V of; this; invention will` more fully appear from. the. following detailed. descriptionk taken. in connection with the accompanying drawing which. illustrates, several embodiments: thereof, andi inv which:

Figure 1 is'` a. fragmentary side. view ofV al wall having my novel; tile applied thereto, and. look,- ing at the tile from. the outer side; off thetiled Wall;

Figure 2is1a.` side or frontview of'v one of my novel. square synthetic-l plastic tiles;V

Figure. 3' is a fragmentaryA crossfsectional' View taken on the line IIIe-Ill of.V Figure l.V looking in the direction indicatedv by*A thel arrows` and showingl the construction of a. joint between adjoining t'ile of my invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear view of one oithe-tilesof my invention' showing the lips on two edges thereof Figure. 5v is an enlarged fragmentary cross..- sectional viewL corresponding to the` joint portion ofv Figure 3 ;r and Figure Gis. a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Figure 5 through a modifiedv form of joint.

As shown on the drawings:

It is believed that my rfovel method of applying individual plastic tiles to a wall buttered with 3 duid mastic will be best understood by the following description of the tiles themselves.

The reference character I0 designates general ly a square tile embodying the features of this invention, it being understood that all or the tile shown in Figure 1 are of identical construction. These tiles are adapted to be applied to a previously buttered wall 9 having a suitable mastic or cementitious material S spread thereon for cementing the tile in contiguous relation to the wall. The tile I0 includes a substantially flat body portion II which is slightly recessed on its rear side to provide the usual peripheral ilanged edge I2; this edge being relatively thin in thickness and corresponding actually to the thickness of the synthetic plastic tile.

It is to be understood that the tile oi my invention may be made from any suitable synthetic plastic material in any suitable molding apparatus, such as is commonly used at the present time in the manufacture of plastic Wall tile. For illustration, I contemplate that the tile can be very satisfactorily made from polystyrene or a vinyl type of resin,

Each tile I0 is generally of a square configuration and includes on each of two sides integral resilient lips I3 and on each ci two other sides stepped shoulders I4 and I5 on which the lips of adjoining tiles are adapted to seat in the assembly of the tile on a wall. The shoulders Ill and I5 as best shown in Figure 5 are slightly spaced from each other and the lip I3 has on its outer side corresponding shoulder portions i6 and i'i for seating on the portions Il! and I5 respectively.

In addition, each lip portion I3 includes on the iront side of the tile an integral substantially hat bead like portion I8 serving as an ornamental stripe or iiller between adjoining tile. The bead I8 may be fiat or slightly arched or grooved for ornamental purposes. This ller bead I8 is o such width that after the lip is Seated on the shoulders of the adjoining tile there will be a slight space as at i9 (Figure 3) between the adjoining tiles. This space provides clearance for slight flexing of the lip as it is seated on the shoulders i4 and I5 and also enables relative flexing of the tiles, after setting of the mastic due to expansion and contraction occurring in the wall. Obviously, since this clearance provides for give between the tiles, buckling, warping, breakage or cracking between the tile due to contraction and expansion is minimized.

The lip on its rear side denes a space 20 into which the mastic 8 is received as the tiles are one-by-one pressed against the wall and which, upon setting, tends to hold the lip on the shoulders I4 and I5. The space '20 will not necessarily be completely filled due to the pocketing of air therein. However, the joint is sealed against the ingress of moisture or water from the outer side of the tile.

The ller or beaded portion I3 of each lip may on its outer surface be given any desirable colored finish thereby enabling the'provision of stripes between adjoining plastic which may be of a contrasting color to that of the tiles proper.

Of course, if it is desired, the entire bead IS and lip I3 could be made of a different colored or textured plastic from that of the main body of the tile.

In Figure 6 I have shown a modification of the invention wherein the tile I9' has its flange f2' recessed at 20 to provide the resilient lip i3' which is on each of two sides of the square tile. The other two sides of the tile are each formed for cooperation with the lips of the adjoining tile; these latter two sides having the flanges I2 enlarged and provided with undercut shoulders III' and I5 on which stepped shouldered portions of the lip I3' are adapted to seat. The lip portion I3 includes an outer integral filler or beading strip I8 for lling the gap between the tile and for providing striping as in the case of the portions I8. Otherwise this modication of the invention functions and operates in the same manner as the previously described form.

It should be noted in Figure 4 at 25 that the lip portions I3 have been cut away at the corner so as to allow for expansion and contraction at the corner. However, only the lip portion proper is cut away leaving the outer bead portion I8 intact so that there is a complete filler or beading strip I8 over the cut away portion 25 of the lip, as is clearly shown in Figure 4.

In the modification in Figure 6 the lip portion I3' would likewise be cut away at the corner in a similar manner to that shown at 25 in .Figure 4 so as to allow for expansion and contraction at the corner of the tile.

While I have used the term square in describing the tile, it will be appreciated that the tile could be of a different polygonal shape such, for example, as a rectangle and still accomplish the results of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

For use in a tile wall made of a plurality of juxtaposed four sided polygonal tiles, a tile having a main substantially dat synthetic plastic body with a peripheral hanged edge defining the ioni' sides of the tile, said edge on each of two sides having an enter flexible sealing junction lip extending rearwardly in the direction of the thickness of the tile and dening a concealed rearwardly opening hollow space between it and the body of the tile and being flexible into said space in the forming of a joint with an adjoining tile, the edge on each of the remaining two sides being outwardly shouldered for engagement with the lip or an adjoining tile, said shoulder comprising a plurality of steps extending outwardly and rearwardly and each lip having steps complementary to the iirst named steps and `for engagement with steps of an adjacent tile.

JOSEPH J. LOPINil.

REFERENCES SETE@ The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

